Single and Dual Task Gait Speed in Frailty Screening of Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Objective: This study compares dual task (DT) gait speed between robust and frail older adults in the setting of a community-based frailty screening program. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving older adults aged 50 years or older. Participants were categorized as robust, pre-fra...

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Main Authors: Joey Yeo, Laura Tay, Yong Hao Pua, Shi Min Mah, Ee Ling Tay, Min Xian Wang, Yee Sien Ng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of Primary Care & Community Health
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319241306700
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author Joey Yeo
Laura Tay
Yong Hao Pua
Shi Min Mah
Ee Ling Tay
Min Xian Wang
Yee Sien Ng
author_facet Joey Yeo
Laura Tay
Yong Hao Pua
Shi Min Mah
Ee Ling Tay
Min Xian Wang
Yee Sien Ng
author_sort Joey Yeo
collection DOAJ
description Objective: This study compares dual task (DT) gait speed between robust and frail older adults in the setting of a community-based frailty screening program. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving older adults aged 50 years or older. Participants were categorized as robust, pre-frail or frail using the FRAIL phenotype. Gait speed was measured under single task (ST) and 2 DT conditions: arithmetic (DT1) and verbal fluency (DT2) tasks. For the arithmetic task, participants counted upwards in multiples of 2, starting from 16. For the verbal fluency task, they named different animals as they walked. Results: A total of 976 participants were recruited, of which 779 were robust, 181 were pre-frail and 16 were frail. Robust participants exhibited significantly faster DT gait speeds (DT1: 1.12 (0.25)m/s; DT2: 0.97 (0.27)m/s than pre-frail/frail (PFF) participants (DT1: 0.88 (0.30)m/s); DT2: 0.78 (0.30)m/s). Robust participants also demonstrated a significantly faster ST gait speed (1.31 (0.22)m/s) vs 1.05 (0.31)m/s). Conclusion: DT gait assessment combines both physical and cognitive domains and may serve as a more holistic tool for early frailty detection in the community. The significant differences observed in DT gait speeds highlight the need for integrating cognitive assessments into frailty screening protocols, supporting timely interventions to improve health outcomes.
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spelling doaj-art-aff39d443fb043fda484709d714b715b2025-08-20T01:58:56ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Primary Care & Community Health2150-13272024-12-011510.1177/21501319241306700Single and Dual Task Gait Speed in Frailty Screening of Community-Dwelling Older AdultsJoey Yeo0Laura Tay1Yong Hao Pua2Shi Min Mah3Ee Ling Tay4Min Xian Wang5Yee Sien Ng6Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, SingaporeSengkang General Hospital, Singapore, SingaporeSingapore General Hospital, Singapore, SingaporeSengkang General Hospital, Singapore, SingaporeSengkang General Hospital, Singapore, SingaporeSingHealth Headquarters, Singapore, SingaporeSingapore General Hospital, Singapore, SingaporeObjective: This study compares dual task (DT) gait speed between robust and frail older adults in the setting of a community-based frailty screening program. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving older adults aged 50 years or older. Participants were categorized as robust, pre-frail or frail using the FRAIL phenotype. Gait speed was measured under single task (ST) and 2 DT conditions: arithmetic (DT1) and verbal fluency (DT2) tasks. For the arithmetic task, participants counted upwards in multiples of 2, starting from 16. For the verbal fluency task, they named different animals as they walked. Results: A total of 976 participants were recruited, of which 779 were robust, 181 were pre-frail and 16 were frail. Robust participants exhibited significantly faster DT gait speeds (DT1: 1.12 (0.25)m/s; DT2: 0.97 (0.27)m/s than pre-frail/frail (PFF) participants (DT1: 0.88 (0.30)m/s); DT2: 0.78 (0.30)m/s). Robust participants also demonstrated a significantly faster ST gait speed (1.31 (0.22)m/s) vs 1.05 (0.31)m/s). Conclusion: DT gait assessment combines both physical and cognitive domains and may serve as a more holistic tool for early frailty detection in the community. The significant differences observed in DT gait speeds highlight the need for integrating cognitive assessments into frailty screening protocols, supporting timely interventions to improve health outcomes.https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319241306700
spellingShingle Joey Yeo
Laura Tay
Yong Hao Pua
Shi Min Mah
Ee Ling Tay
Min Xian Wang
Yee Sien Ng
Single and Dual Task Gait Speed in Frailty Screening of Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Journal of Primary Care & Community Health
title Single and Dual Task Gait Speed in Frailty Screening of Community-Dwelling Older Adults
title_full Single and Dual Task Gait Speed in Frailty Screening of Community-Dwelling Older Adults
title_fullStr Single and Dual Task Gait Speed in Frailty Screening of Community-Dwelling Older Adults
title_full_unstemmed Single and Dual Task Gait Speed in Frailty Screening of Community-Dwelling Older Adults
title_short Single and Dual Task Gait Speed in Frailty Screening of Community-Dwelling Older Adults
title_sort single and dual task gait speed in frailty screening of community dwelling older adults
url https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319241306700
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